In the Kitchen

Blueberry Oatmeal Squares

by Ingrid

The RV lifestyle can be as social or anti-social as one chooses. I know lots of RVer’s who engage in activities regularly with fellow traveler’s and even go so far as to caravan together. Others prefer solitude and rarely socialize with their fellow RVer. It’s all about personal preference.

For Al and I, we’ve discovered the middle of the road is the perfect fit for us. We’ll go weeks without socializing enjoying our solitude, and then we’ll find ourselves in a location where we embrace multiple get togethers…. quite often with folks we’ve never met before. And this is how complete strangers become friends.

Blueberry Oatmeal Squares

Our socializing usually centers around hiking and eating. Although it’s fun to meet up at a local restaurant or brewery, we prefer pot lucks around a picnic table or at someone’s home.

Wonderful friendships have been made at campgrounds and through clubs like Escapees, but most surprising are the friendships we’ve forged through the blogosphere with RVer’s AND non-RVer’s a like. When I started this little thing called a blog, I never imaged it would lead to some genuine friendships. It has and I’m ever so grateful 😁

Blueberry Oatmeal Squares Bars

For those of us that travel, it’s so much fun running into a fellow Blogger in one state and then reconnecting months later in another state. Most times these re-connections are serendipitous.

Over the years, we’ve met some of the most culinary talented folks and shared some very flavorful meals together. Occasionally the sharing of recipes ensues and the scribbled notes get passed around. That’s exactly how I came about this Blueberry Oatmeal Square recipe, and it has become one of my all time favorite go to dishes to bring to a get together.

Smucker's Blueberry preserve recipes

It’s super easy to make and because it has oatmeal in it, we know it’s healthy (she says while winking). The fact that it’s calorie-laden with refined sugars and flour is irrelevant. Oatmeal equal healthy, and that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I belong to a few “RV” related Facebook groups and a common question that seems to pop up is about whether an oven in the RV is necessary? A lot of RV’s only have a convection/microwave combo unit. I love my little propane oven, and since I enjoy baking and use my easy bake RV oven often, I couldn’t live without it. I’m sure many of you have perfected convection/micro baking, and I congratulate you, but I’ll stick with my propane oven that doubles as additional storage when not in use.

Blueberry Oatmeal Squares

And since many of my friends know I enjoy baking, I’m the one they count on to bring the dessert to those get togethers.

So the next time you’re getting together with friends and need to bring a dish/dessert to share, give these Blueberry Oatmeal Squares a try, and be sure you tell your friends to indulge because they’re healthy …. Ingrid said so!

Blueberry Oatmeal Squares

  • Servings: 20
  • Print

Blueberry Oatmeal Squares1 3/4 sticks cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup brown sugar
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cup old fashioned oats
1 jar of blueberry preserves (I use 3/4’s of an 18 ounce jar of Smucker’s Blueberry preserves)

Sift together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the butter with a fork or pastry cutter just enough until the butter is broken down and incorporated with the ingredients. Add in the oats and with your hands mix well. Press half the mixture into a buttered 13-by-9 inch rectangular shaped baking pan. Top the dough with the preserves, spreading evenly. Sprinkle remaining oat mixture over preserves and then press down lightly.

Bake for 30-40 minutes in a 350 degree pre-heated oven. Once cooled, cut into squares.

A couple of products I used …. (affiliate links)

I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for me to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

66 thoughts on “Blueberry Oatmeal Squares”

    1. These are one of our favorite treats and I just made some more yesterday. It’s a crowd pleaser too. So if you ever need to bring something to a potluck or get together, bring these.

      Liked by 1 person

  2. I love to bake too, Ingrid, but I cannot imagine baking in an RV, how impressive that is. From your past posts, I have seen you interacting with many other RVers, and now I know your secret: show up with treats! Excellent post and tasty looking oatmeal squares.

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    1. The small space and oven can be a challenge, but I like keeping life as close to living in a sticks n bricks even though we’re mobile. You’d be surprised what I can cook up in this RV 😋

      Liked by 1 person

  7. Looks so yummy! I couldn’t be without our little “easy bake” propane oven. We use it several times a week, mostly for roasting veggies. And an occasional treat, of course. The microwave, on the other hand, we never use.

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    1. I only use the microwave to reheat coffee or maybe bake a potato, but I’d have no trouble living without it, but don’t take away my easy bake oven 😆

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  8. We’re really loners at heart, but we’ve really enjoyed the social side of this lifestyle, an unexpected pleasure! What fun. We only have a convection/microwave and I produced many runny cakes and unbaked and overbaked cookies on the same sheet. I complained and didn’t bake for years until I finally decided it was ridiculous to let it beat me. Now I bake pies and cakes and cookies without any trouble, it’s all in the technique, one I finally learned! I guess I don’t like change, I was the last one to get a micro wave oven, a smart phone, a laptop for that matter and look where that has taken me! Great post Ingrid, I can’t wait to try these yummy squares!

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    1. I hear ya … just when I get used to something and think I have it figured out, technology changes and the learning curve starts over. Perhaps that’ll keep our minds active and young. In the meantime, scrumptious treats make everything better 😁

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  9. I was so excited to see these, thinking “Ingrid found a healthy way to make a dessert” so was a bit bummed by the ingredients…but you gave a full disclaimer. I printed it anyway because it looked too good not to try someday!

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  10. Looks yummy! Typically we can fill up ice cream pails of blueberries up here but this year was very dry and you can hardly find a patch worth picking and those you do find are rather bitter. We will have to keep this recipe for next time!

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    1. Oh too bad – we used to love blueberry picking in northern MN. With this recipe, I always use jarred preserves. Might be interesting to try with fresh and probably less sugar.

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  11. Can’t wait to have more, they were so delicious, thanks for the recipe. We have made so many friends through the blogosphere. We’ve been blessed with lots of visits this summer, so thankful for the RV friends we’ve made. Dinner a few days after we get in, can you bring dessert?

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  12. I’m with you on the RV “Barbie” oven..Den and I are in need of a new oven at home, but I have second thoughts about getting a convection oven…Maybe it’s just a case of “stubborn old lady who hates progress”, but I also prefer a regular oven and the propane in our Hiker..And I finally have learned where to strategically place my oven rack in my Barbie oven so as not to burn the bottom of everything..It is also where I store some of my wine when traveling….wink wink!

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    1. Ah yes … the ‘easy bake’ oven is fortunately multi purpose; wine cellar, storage, bread box😆
      I had a double oven in our large custom home and the top oven could be used as either a convection or regular oven. I never did get the hang of the convection. Altitude may have also played a role. Who knows! I’ll stick with the good old-fashioned thing.

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  15. I second the comment about excellent food photography. I never realized how involved that was until I started looking into it a bit. It’s a whole sub-specialty of photography. Who knew? Anyway, these are great. And as for health, I see fruits and whole grains on that plate. So I hereby decree it: Healthy!!

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    1. Thanks … yeah, I thought bird photography was challenging until I decided to get into food photography. It’s one thing to take a snap shot of food, but a whole other thing to make it look scrumptious and edible in a photograph. Don’t even get me started on being hungry while shooting and all I want to do is eat. I think that’s why I’ve done much better photographing baked goods. Serious food photographers aren’t trying to sit down and eat the meal – they’ve made it to photograph it. Trying to wrap my head around that schedule 🙄 I think I’ll stick with hiking, landscapes, and birds with a few wildflowers thrown in for diversity 😉
      Fruits and grains – I like your thinking!

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  16. I’m one that is suppose to limit my sugar but they do have oatmeal in them and just as you said…..oatmeal is healthy!! Thanks for the recipe!! We’ll give them a try!
    I hear ya about socializing! We are ok with it but wouldn’t want to over do. We have, however, met some of the nicest and most amazing people RVing!!!

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    1. I hear ya! I have a temperamental pancreas and sugar and alcohol are not my friends 😭 Moderation is my mantra! And the same seems to work on the social front 😉

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  17. Yummy! Sadly, we are now restricting our processed sugar foods….but I’m sure just one little bit wouldn’t hurt us!
    We’re much like you two, probably middle of the roaders….we tend to be in more solitude situations than not. But we do enjoy our time with the friends we have made over the years. We have tried to “meet” up a few times and have always enjoyed it.

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    1. Oh a little bite can’t hurt 😆 Problem is a little bite isn’t enough and we always devour them way too quickly then need to hike extra miles. We have a get together on Wednesday thus I’ll be making them again.

      Liked by 1 person

      1. Yes that is the problem-can’t get enough! I’m pretty sure I could eat “just one.” 😇
        Bill knows himself – so it was cold turkey quitting sweets. And he just can’t have one bite now. 😢
        Turns out for him, it was his sweet tooth that caused his heart disease, not all those hamburgers. He’s glucose intolerant-but never knew it or “felt” any residuals. Strangest thing….
        I need to write another update on his journey as his follow up doc visit this week wasn’t real positive. Ugh 😑

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  18. We too are hit and miss socialises when on the road. It’s usually all, or nothing, depending on where we are, and what mood we’re in. We’ve made some fabulous friends along the way, usually formed as we accidentally meet several times while travelling in the same direction. That’s easy to do in Australia, especially in the west, as there’s only two main roads in the west. We have a gas oven which we occasionally use, and your oaty, blueberry slice looks like an ideal choice for next time we’re going to use it. We’re off to the markets today, so a jar of blueberry jam is on the list.

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    1. I’ve always wanted to visit western Australia. From photos it looks rather remote and somewhat desolate, yet beautiful. Hope you enjoy these oatmeal treats.

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  19. I love the “middle of the road” approach when it comes to socializing. It all depends on my mood, also. Potlucks and home gatherings are my favorites as well, as opposed to bars and restaurant meetings. The RVing scene sounds a lot like the boating scene and we are looking forward to meeting some like-minded souls once we get to it full-time again. 🙂

    Those squares look and sound fantastic, Ingrid. The only time Mark and I consume sugar is when we bake desserts, so we will have to try your recipe. Replacing the microwave oven with a small conventional oven is on the “to-do” list for our camper van!!

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    1. Al and I have a terrible sweet tooth that we do our best to control. Can’t wait to see how your next year plays out and the plans you two have now that you have a camper van. Should be a fun adventure.

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  20. Sounds yummy Ingrid. I love my little oven too. Can you put fresh blueberries in this recipe? We are enjoying our time with Curt and Glenda as we speak!

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    1. Hmm, don’t know about using fresh blueberries. Certainly worth a try. The four of you certainly under took one heck of a hike. Hope to see you all this winter in Phoenix for some hiking and eating.

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  21. Those look amazing! My mum used to make raspberry squares and they were like this. My oldest daughter loves blueberries and is leaving for college back in the U.S. in a couple of weeks. I think this is a good send off treat!

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    1. Oooh, raspberry also sounds very good. My daughter spent a semester studying in Sydney and I hated how far away she was. Thank goodness for Skype 🙂

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  22. Your photos are amazing! Each one is so professional with perfectly placed broken bars and crumbs. I so enjoyed looking at them:) Of course they are healthy! Oatmeal power!!

    I have a propane oven and have only used it once. I took a class in the use of the convection oven only to find it doesn’t work the way they say. My convection oven works like a regular oven. I just follow the recipe temperature and time and all is perfect. Pies, cookies, and casseroles brown just like my oven back in the sticks and bricks days. I even did a turkey one Thanksgiving! Not sure why I don’t need to convert or change temps, but I have shared this with many and other say the same thing…the “convection” oven works like an regular oven.

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    1. Awe, thank you so much for your kind words on my photos. I can’t believe how challenging food photography is. Shooting birds is tons easier 😁
      Does not surprise me you’ve perfected ‘convection’ baking. I’ve heard mixed reviews. Next time you pass through Phoenix, we’ll need to do a bake off 😆

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  23. Thank you. I will make these next week when I camp with my girlfriend and her husband. He loves anything blueberry. I just put out a couple extra utensils to add to my camper that I had not considered.

    I like meeting people while camping but I also like to spend some time alone.

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  24. Like you Ingrid I never would have believed when we started our little blog how many people we would meet and become friends with around the world. I smiled as you described your get togethers. Such fun times. The recipe looks delicious and I laughed at your strokes out reference to your easy bake oven. 🙂

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    1. Well the RV oven is rather little but doable, which reminds me of the little ‘easy bake’ ovens that were so popular in the ’60’s. My mom wouldn’t get me one ☹ thinking I’d hurt myself or more like burn the house down. Guess you could say I’m reliving my childhood with this oven 😆

      Liked by 1 person

  25. These look yummy. I’ll have to give them a try. I like my RV oven too, except it is a challenge to regulate the temperature so the good eats aren’t burned on the bottom and raw on top.

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    1. Yeah, it can be a little challenging to get the temperature even. These oatmeal squares actually bake up pretty nice in the RV oven even though it would be nice to get the top a little browned, it isn’t necessary.

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  26. These sound delicious! And yes, the oatmeal makes them healthy! I’ve never baked in our RV oven and I don’t use it often because it is so hard to light the pilot light. Henry has to get down on the floor with the lighter while I press the light control on the front of the oven. Is there an easier way?

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    1. I used to be afraid of lighting the oven, but now I know exactly where the dial needs to be (which isn’t on the line 😕). Then I just bend over with my fire clicker lit to the pilot and push the dial – voile! I think because we’ve lit it so many times, it’s no big deal, but those first few months out, Al would sit on the floor and need to fiddle.
      These oatmeal squares are so good with blueberries but also cherry 😋

      Liked by 1 person

  28. That looks way good. I’ve never understood the contempt for RV ovens, I use mine all the time. And ya, we are on the anti social end of RV life. We talk to strangers all day long at art shows, so prefer to escape to nowhere and no people. It is fun meeting bloggers out there on the road, I always look forward to that.

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    1. I too use my oven all the time. During my ‘regular’ working days, my jobs revolved around the public and customer service. On my off time, I was all about being anti-social in an attempt to find some sort of happy medium. So I can totally relate.

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